1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable cabinets, and more particularly to a novel serving and storage cabinet having internal storage compartments which are covered and closed by panels for storage purposes and wherein the panels are deployed when opening the cabinet to provide a serving counter and a support therefor.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to provide portable cabinets which enclose a variety of foodstuffs, bottled goods, serving trays, stemware, disposal pans or the like. Usually such cabinets include a wheeled base having closed compartments that are readily opened in order to expose the interior for removal of items or for the introduction of items thereto for storage. Such cabinets are generally referred to as serving carts and in some instances, include a pivotal cover which merely opens and closes the storage area, such as a door, lid or cover. In these latter instances, the pivoted member does not serve any functional service when the cabinet has been opened and the sole purpose of the member is to cover or close the storage compartment per se.
A further problem associated with prior portable cabinets is that such cabinets do not include a serving counter which is deployable between open and closed positions having a functional usage in either of the positions. Although such carts may include pivoting flaps or table portions which are merely moved from the sides of the cabinet to an outwardly projecting position and employing a pivoting member to support such a flap, the flap or folding portion serves no purpose when in the closed or in its non-operative position.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel portable cabinet having a plurality of storage compartments which are arranged in groups and wherein one group of internal storage cabinets is closed by a pivoting panel member, while the other group of storage cabinets is closed by a second pivoting panel member. Both panel members serve to enclose the compartments when it is desired to move or seal the compartments and yet when the panels are deployable into functional orientation, one panel serves as a counter while the other panel serves as a support for the counter. Such a portable cabinet would be extremely useful in attending to the needs of persons in small groups or parties in areas not having permanent sink, refrigeration or storage facilities. Such areas may be poolside, garden areas or conference room settings.